GAME OF THRONES: A Second Look at the Women of the 7 Kingdoms

I was so torn after watching the premiere of HBO’s epic fantasy series Game of Thrones that I had to take to my keyboard and hash out what was bothering me. In short: in addition to excessive violence and nudity, the show felt misogynistic. I was assured by a couple of female critics I know that the women didn’t remain pawns and playthings, but decided to wait until a few projects were off my plate before adding another show to my schedule. Over Memorial Day weekend, I finally downloaded HBO GO and caught up on episodes 2-7. Holy moly!

Not only do the women become more than pawns, they become the driving force of most plotlines. The Queen (Cersei) continues her inappropriate relationship with her brother, but we discover that she’s using that relationship to ensure her family’s claim to the throne. Not her husband’s, hers. Yeah, those kids aren’t yours, Robert. The impressive double (triple?) cross in this week’s episode, after Robert’s death, left my head spinning. This woman is a force to be reckoned with.

Sidenote: Did you know that King Robert was played by Mark Addy, who I finally recognized as Bill Miller from Still Standing. I know, right?

Meanwhile, Catelyn Stark is doing her part to protect her family from the Lannisters (aka Cersei, creepy Jaime, and erudite Tyrion) by alternately fending off a would-be assassin, figuring out who wants her son dead and why, riding off to warn Ned (who is an idiot and sends her home), and kidnapping Tyrion who she thinks is behind the attack. Thinking her widowed sister, Lysa, will want to mete out justice on Tyrion who is also accused of killing Lysa’s husband, Catelyn marches him to a stronghold literally sitting in the clouds. There she finds Lysa gone mad with grief, nursing her son who must be at least 8 years old (Lino Facioli who I totally recognized from Get Him to the Greek), and ready to put Tyrion to the death. I hope insanity doesn’t run in the family; Catelyn is barely holding it together as it is.

The daughters Stark are making their own power moves, despite their youth. Sansa, betrothed to Prince Joffrey (who we now know is not the legitimate heir to the throne), chooses her future husband over her family in what will probably be a decision that comes back to bite her in the rear. Tomboy Arya has always been more interested in knightly pursuits than learning to be a queen, so when Ned recognizes her skill and gives her sword fighting lessons disguised as dancing lessons, I can’t help but wonder what role the young woman will play in the game of thrones heating up episode by episode. She’s already overheard a plot to kill her father (who is an idiot and dismisses her report), and it looks like she may lead the rescue attempt now that Cersei has imprisoned him.

My favorite female, the one whose storyline I find most compelling, is Daenerys. She started out a timid young woman used by her brother to further his quest to claim the throne. Then she was a scared young woman wed to a barbaric warlord. Then she was a young woman who realized that she not only wanted to survive, but to thrive in her new environment. By the end of episode 7, Daenerys is the last of the Targaryens and is the beloved kahleesi of the Dothraki. Because of her, the kahl has decided to claim the Iron Throne, and now a war is coming.

Violence, gore, nudity, and sex are still in abundance on Game of Thrones. There are some scenes that I only listened to rather than watched because I couldn’t stomach what was coming. There are some scenes that were gratuitous to the point of ridiculousness, clearly male fantasy material. But these women’s stories, they keep me watching.

Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.